(1)"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;" - Hebrews 1:1-2
God is the original author of the entire Bible, and He inspired holy men to put His thoughts and commandments in writing. All Old Testament writers are viewed as prophets in that their testimony was preparation for the coming of Christ. As verse 2 above states, in these last days God speaks to us by His Son Jesus or the Holy Spirit, which is part of the Godhead.
In Old Testament times, God also spoke through visions and dreams and angels and in other ways; even in a whisper (1 Kings 19:12). One thing about it, in OT times the person was absolutely sure it was God who was speaking,
Today, God speaks to us by the Holy Spirit through His Holy Word the Bible, through prayer, the church, and even through circumstances. This is only true if we have a strong, intimate love relationship with Him. That takes time and effort on our part. Make time to read God's Word; make time for prayer. If you never hear God "speak", then your relationship with Him is severely lacking in intimacy. Or maybe you have never truly been born again.
"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." - John 8:47
If the above Scripture in John is true of you, you need to get on your knees and pray for forgiveness of any sins, give your heart and soul in surrender to the Lord, and believe in Jesus as your Savior, Lord, and Master. Now is the time to get right with the Lord ! (2 Corinthians 6:2)
You need to be born again, become a child of God, so that the Holy Spirit may speak to you and give you understanding of spiritual matters.
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." - 1 Corinthians 2:14-15
The "natural man" is described in Jude 19 as one who is sensual. The one who is not a Christian is, for the most part, dominated by the physical and worldly or natural life. Because he is not filled with the Holy Spirit, he cannot understand or is not equipped to receive the truth that only the Spirit can give a person. Therefore, he needs the new birth (John 3:1-8). Otherwise, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Ducks and other waterfowl often gather in flocks so numerous that it is breathtaking to see them take to flight all at once. We Christians should flock together also as Hebrews 10:25 commands us to do: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
When we meet together at church, we hear the Word of God preached and many times it is God "speaking" specifically to us on a matter we need to hear..... a word of correction or encouragement or an answer to a dilemma we might be facing. So when we worship, that is one way we can recognize God's voice.
We also hear the Lord speak to us through a member of our church, or through a Christian friend or family member. Listen to their advice, but remember they are imperfect humans and we need to "Test" what we hear by pouring over God's Holy Word.
In fact, the Bible tells us to test the spirits:
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1
Sometimes the voice you hear may be the devil, or your own thoughts and desires may lead you astray. Test to see if what you hear lines up with God's Word, and pray to Him about it. Ask Him for wisdom and discernment. If the thoughts are vague or confusing, it is not the Lord. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Ask yourself if what you hear is going to help you to be more Christlike, or if it will help you to produce more of the fruit of the Spirit in you. (Galatians 5:22-25)
You most likely will not actually hear God's audible voice; rather, it is a still small voice that speaks to your heart and soul and that prompts your spirit to act. Remember how Elijah witnessed the LORD's action of a great and strong wind, and after the wind an earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in either of them. Then, after all that, God spoke to Elijah in "a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:9-12)
The bottom line is: As you worship the Lord, study the Bible, and are often in prayer, you will start to develop spiritual awareness and be able to comprehend and perceive our Lord's heart and mind and His will. You will hear His voice in your soul more frequently and you will know and recognize that it is Him speaking.
Develop a close, personal, and intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ and you will experience His voice frequently.
Nothing else is as important as this relationship and hearing from God.
"For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." - 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Corinthians 10:5
"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of a stranger." - Jesus at John 10:4-5
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